You Make Me Smile
by Silvermist Nightray - ARCHIVE
Summary: Alternia, a peaceful little town in the middle of nowhere, was a place people would go to forget their past. Kurloz Makara was more than willing to forget, a poor soul battered and broken in more ways than one. What will he do when a stubborn little Leijon makes it her mission to fix him? Will he run away, like he always does? Or will he let Alternia do its magic?
1. You Found Me

**Silver's Note:** And now, my darling Winter children, I hereby lift my hiatus with my very first Homestuck Fanfiction. *ironic applause in the background* I have to confess, I've been enjoying Homestuck fanfics for the past few months, particularly Erisol and PurrLoz. this fanfic might be a touch too serious and dark compared to my other fanfics, but this has been my favorite to write. I've gone through a lot of _shit _these past few months and I think I deserve to let my angst out on a little imaginary world, am I right? Well anyway guys, enjoy this fanfic of mine. Comments are forever loved and welcomed!_  
_

**Warning:** M for language, mentions of abuse, subtle mentions of car accident, will contain self-harm and suicide attempts, lots of depressing moments but will have better moments a little farther down the road, some of the content is based on my own real-life experiences but I won't tell which, there will be lots and lots of angst, angry sex comes on later

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the songs used in this fanfic. I do not own Homestuck. This a masterpiece of a comic belongs to Andrew Hussie. (Admit it, he stole your soul, too.)

* * *

**You Found Me**

_"Lost And Insecure, You Found Me"_

The rain drummed a steady rhythm on the roof of your beat-up Dodge Dreamer, calming your still fiery nerves. You'd been living in the hell you called your Dad's apartment for the past _twenty-one _years and not once have you ran out on your sorry excuse of a Father. You stayed with him when your Mother decided enough was enough and left you to fend for yourself. You stayed with him when he came home drunk and beat the shit out of you. You stayed with him when he kicked you out of your room and threw all your stuff into the attic. You stayed with him when everybody else had told you to just get the hell out of there.

You stayed with him... Until today...

You were coming home from an exhausting day at the local coffee shop. Your boss had been in a pretty bad mood and one of your co-workers messed up almost every order she was given. You were very much ready to climb up the attic and just collapse into the bed. But when you opened the door, everything was a fucking mess. Pieces of broken glass scattered all over the floor, several of your beloved books torn to shreds, your laptop smashed beyond belief. You knew he got violent when he was drunk, but your Dad has never done _this _before.

Rage had never been one of your best friends. You stayed calm, albeit a little mad, but calm nonetheless. It wasn't until you saw your Mother's precious diary - the only thing she'd ever given you as a memento - burning in the fire place that you finally lost it.  
You screamed.

Here you are now, driving through the pouring rain, wondering where you're going and when you'll get there. Your duffel bag sits in the passenger seat, packed with the little clothes you have left. You remember having a cousin living somewhere along the coast, but you don't even know where you are _now _let alone navigate through traffic.

You find that there's no use thinking about it, so you just drive. Drive and dive until you stop seeing anything but the road in front of you. You don't see the buildings whizzing past you as the car picks up speed, you don't see the traffic light go red as you zoom past it, you don't see the girl with her green umbrella telling you to slow down. You don't see the truck coming at you at full speed, until the impact sends you and the car spinning across the empty street.

The world turns black. You're not sure if your dead or just unconscious, but you don't care anymore. You can't feel your arms and legs, you can't open your mouth, you can't use your voice. All you know is that you're not gonna be waking up any time soon.

Your name is Kurloz Makara and _**you are lost.**_

* * *

_"You Found Me, Lying On The Floor"_

Your day had been good.

No.

Your day had been _great!_

Earlier this morning you managed to convince Calliope to allow Nepeta to work part-time and the Shelter with you, after that you met up with Rose at the local library and checked up on her cat Jaspers to make sure he was doing okay, lastly Horuss took you out for dinner and you two squeezed into a late-night movie at the last minute. It was already raining by the time you two got out, but that didn't dampen your mood since you brought your favorite green umbrella with you.

Saying a cheery goodnight to Horuss, you started walking back to your place when it happened...

A pick-up truck blazes through the road, ignoring the flashing red of the traffic light. You yell at the driver to slow down when a cargo truck smashes into the passenger seat. You hold your breath as the car goes spinning, and you watch in horror as a trail of red follows it.

Dropping your umbrella, you run.

You don't hear the sound of sirens filling the air as police cars arrive one by one. You don't hear the whispers of the local townsfolk as they curiously gather to observe the scene. You don't hear the medics' voices calling out your name, telling you to _"get the fuck away from there or you're gonna fucking hurt yourself"_.

You don't hear anything but your heart, telling you to stand by that person's side, to hold their hand because they're in pain, to be with them no matter what it takes. You don't understand why your heart is telling you this, but you just can't shake the feeling that whoever is trapped in that car needs someone, anyone to be there for them.

Your name is Meulin Leijon and _**you've found him.**_

* * *

"Meulin?"

Your ears perk up at the sound of Dr. Porrim Maryam's velvet voice. You stop fidgeting in your seat, stop staring at the floor long enough to spare a glance at her caramel-kissed face. "Hey, Porrim..." you greet, slipping on your cheery smile. "I was just here to-"

Before you can even finish your sentence, Porrim rushes to your side. She cradles you in her arms, her soft auburn hair brushing against your cheek. "You must have been very frightened, Meulin!" she murmurs into your ear, gently stroking your back, "Are you alright now? You're not traumatized, are you?"

You shake your head, gently prying yourself away from her arms. "I'm _purrfectly _fine, Porrim!" You're aware of the cat pun you use, but you know this is the only way to convince anyone you were okay. "The person inside that car though... Is he gonna be okay? Is he badly hurt? Oh fudge, is he even alive?"

Porrim raises an eyebrow at your show of concern, though she can't help but smile at your talkative demeanor. "There's some minor head trauma and bleeding, although it won't kill him..." She turns on her Doctor Personality, placing both her hands in her lap. "It will leave him in a coma for a while..."

Your eyes widen at the thought. "So... So he won't be waking up?"

"Oh, he'll wake up..." Porrim continues, "We're not sure when exactly, but he'll wake up eventually. The injury hasn't effected the important parts of his brain, so he'll still have his memories intact... Miraculously, neither his arms or legs suffered any severe injury, just a few fractures that we were easily able to treat..."

You feel relieved. He isn't going to die after all. You wonder what you would have done if he really did...

"Meulin..." Porrim disturbs your thoughts as she places a firm hand on your shoulder, "Why are you so concerned about this stranger? Do you know him?"

Your hands tighten around the hem of your sweater. "I... I don't exactly _know _him..." you answer truthfully, avoiding Porrim's jade green gaze, "But I feel like I should... I don't really know, _Purrim, _but I think he just needs someone right now... I mean, he didn't even hear me when I told him to slow down!"

Porrim nods. "Slowing down would have saved him..." she clears her throat, standing up. "Well then, since we don't know who this poor soul is, we'll be keeping in contact with you."

Your eyes light up and you stand up, hands reaching out to grab Porrim's own. "Oh, please do that, Porrim! He'll be very lonely once he wakes up!"

She smiles at your eagerness, squeezing your arms lightly. "I just have to let you know, darling, he won't be able to talk for..." she swallows, "A long time..."

You feel your smile fade, a sinking feeling in your stomach making you feel a little dizzy. "H-Huh?"

"There's something terribly wrong with his larynx..." she explains, "We're not sure if it's because of the crash or something else, but it's severely swollen that we doubt he'll be able to speak for quite some time. We're observing it for the time being to see if the swelling goes down, hopefully it does after a week. We'll try to give him some antibiotics to help, but until he wakes up, we'll just have to wait."

"O-Okay..." you offer a small smile, "Guess that means I don't need to wear a hearing aid around him!"

Porrim looks at you one last time before hugging you goodbye. "Don't worry yourself over this, Meulin..." she tells you as you walk out the hospital, "You barely know him, darling."

You nod, wave goodbye, then head for your apartment. The rain has let up and you find yourself swinging your umbrella. You think about what Porrim said. You know she's right. You barely know this man, how could you care so much? But... Your heart keeps telling you to stay by his side, and you know your heart never lies...


	2. The Only Reason

**The Only Reason**

_"When I Close My Eyes And Try To Sleep, I Fall Apart And Find It Hard To Breathe  
You're The Reason, The Only Reason"_

The silence is both deafening and comforting. You wonder if you've finally found yourself in heaven, but the pain in your chest shoots you right back to hell on earth. And you thought you could finally sleep in peace. Turns out Fate has some other plans for you, Makara.

"Uhm, hello there, friend..."

A voice pierces through the silence in your mind. Like a bright light shining in the darkness, it momentarily blinds you. You don't know this voice. It's not hers, of course not. She's been gone for years. It couldn't be hers... Could it?

"Porrim told me you could hear me..." the voice continues, like a soothing wave coursing through your mind. "So I'll be staying here to keep you company!"

You hear plastic rustling, a chair being pulled closer, plates being set up on a nearby table. "I brought some fruit. I didn't know what you'd like, so I got some apples from Dave. I don't know why he has so much!"

She giggles and your heart stops. No, this isn't her. She's never giggled, or laughed. She only cried, screamed out your Dad's name, waved goodbye and never came back. No, this girl isn't your Mom. She cares too much.

"I got cake from Jane, too! She says she's worried about you, a lot of people are..." she pauses. You hear the scrape of a chair as she places it beside you, the long silky hair falling to your hands makes you ache to run your fingers through them. "I might not know you, heck, the entire town doesn't know you... But we care, okay? So please... Wake up soon..."

She clasps your hand with both of her own, and squeezes. The gesture has you falling apart, taken aback by the concern a complete stranger has for you. Her hand is warm, and you find yourself craving more of it as she lets go.

"Alright, since you won't be eating any time soon, I'll eat Jane's cake all by myself!" she says cheerfully, walking away. "I'll buy you another one when you wake up, so don't forget, okay?"

You feel yourself smile, but know that your face remains unchanged. She stays with you for the entire day, getting up occasionally to go to the toilet or change the channel on the little television you didn't know you had. She talks with the female doctor taking care of you. You learn her name is Porrim Maryam, and that she doesn't approve of this girl taking care of you.

"Are you sure about this, darling?" your hear Porrim whisper, "Latula told me they've gained custody over the things left in his car after the crash. There are no IDs, no passports, not even a driver's license. He was driving without a license! You shouldn't be doing this! You don't know him, nobody knows him!"

"All the more I should take care of him!" she answers defiantly, surprising you. "We don't even know who he is, how do you think we can find his family?! Porrim, he's hurt, he's alone, and I just can't leave him like that! Everyone in the world needs someone to take care of them, and whether you like it or not, I'll be that someone for him."

You hear Porrim sigh, her hears clicking on the tiled floor as she walks away. The girl goes back to sitting next to you, talking to you about what's on the television.

You find yourself thinking about what she said long after she leaves. She wants to take care of you, even going against this Porrim's wishes. Why would she do that? She doesn't even know you. You could be a criminal for god's sake, why would she risk that? For you, of all people. For the damn drunkard's son.

Who is this girl and why does she care?

* * *

_"Even When My Dizzy Head Is Numb, I Swear My Heart Is Never Giving Up  
You're The Reason, The Only Reason"_

Days pass by and you've managed to tell the sleeping stranger everything. He knows about your favorite color and your best friend's name, your job at Hearts and Paws Shelter and your Mom's job at National Geographic. He even knows about your accident ten years ago that left you completely deaf without the help of a hearing aid.

There's just one thing you haven't told him, though...

"My name..."

"What was that, darling?"

"Oh, uhm, nothing!" you smile at Calliope, shaking your head. "I was just talking to myself, sorry."

Calliope's eyebrows crease and her jade green eyes soften. "Meulin, are you alright?" she asks, pressing the back of her hand on your forehead. "You always seem dazed at work. Have you been getting enough sleep?"

"I've been busy lately, but I'm getting enough sleep..." you hesitate, sighing. "I think..."

She clicks her tongue at you, hands on her hips. "Meulin, Meulin, Meulin!" she wags a finger at your face, "Now, I know you love your job and all the lovely animals here, but if you're tired, you can always tell me. I'll give you a day off. Sleep is important, you know."

You shake your head, smiling. "It's alright, Calliope, really. You don't need to worry about me, I'm fine."

"No she isn't!" Nepeta interrupts you, appearing from the storage room with a bag of dog food. "She says she's fine but she isn't. Meulin's been coming home at nine in the evening everyday!"

"Nepeta!" you squeak. Calliope raises her eyebrow at you, and you pout. "Okay, I haven't been going directly home after work. I have someone to... To take care of."

Nepeta giggles, depositing the bag of dog food on the counter. "She's been taking care of that guy in a coma. You know, the one who got into that terrible accident last week?" she says excitedly, practically bouncing. "I don't know what's up with you, Meow, but I ship it."

You hide your blush with both your hands, sliding further down your seat at the counter. "Nepeta, don't ship it!" you mumble, "We're not a ship. Not at all!"

Calliope joins Nepeta in giggling. "Well, why didn't you say so?!" she smiles, taking out the dog bowls from under the counter. "I could allow you to leave earlier. I'm sure Jake and I can handle the Shelter at night."

You shake your head. "I can't let you do that... That'd be like I'm working part-time..."

"You're too nice for your own good, Meow!" Nepeta groans, helping Calliope with the dog food. "Just go and take care of your sleeping beauty already, sheesh."

You pout, scooping some of the dog food into the other bowls. "I don't want to take advantage of your kindness, Callie!" you say, shooting Nepeta a look. "And he is not my sleeping beauty, Lion!"

Nepeta shrugs. "I still ship it."

Calliope giggles, shaking her head at both of you. "Now, now. If you see it as taking advantage of my kindness, then I cut of your pay every time you go home early, how is that?"

You consider the thought, mentally equating expenses at home. "Well..." you look at Nepeta, she gives you a thumbs up and a cheeky grin. "Alright, alright. I guess that's a fair deal. Just until he wakes up though, I don't want to drag it out for too long."

Nepeta squeals, doing a little spin. "Oh my god, yes!" she practically purrs, brimming with giddiness. "The ship continues to sail! Do you think he'll wake up if you kiss him, Meow?"

You blush, shaking your head. "I-I don't want to kiss him!" you yell, defensive. "He-He doesn't know what I look like, and-and we don't know each other's names!"

"Well, I'm sure you'll have lots of time to get to know each other when he wakes up." Calliope interjects. "Now, why don't we go feed the dogs? The cats need to be fed next, and you know how they are when they're hungry."

You and your sister nod, picking up full dog bowls and taking them to the kennels. The talk about ships and kissing sleeping beauties doesn't leave your mind. Surely you're not falling for the poor soul, are you, Meulin?

* * *

**Silver's Note: **I did say I was going to update some fanfics recently, did I not? Well, this chapter has been sitting on my laptop for a while and I thought it was about time I seriously completed and published it. I'm sorry if Kurloz has lesser interactions compared to Meulin, but darlings, he _is _comatose, after all. You can't expect him to interact much. However, he will be waking up soon. I can't exactly reveal _how soon _but it'll be _soon enough_. In the mean time, I'll be working on my other neglected fanfiction. I have got three months left of my Summer vacation, and this seems like the only logical way to spend it. This and playing the entire Dragon Age franchise. Well then, darlings, I'll see you all soon.


	3. One More Night

**One More Night**

_"So I Cross My Heart And I Hope To Die  
That I'll Only Stay With You One More Night"_

The thing with Eridan Ampora had started last night, when you accidentally found yourselves alone together in the empty restroom of The Void. He snarled at you from his position by the sinks. You greeted him with a middle finger. There was a hundred percent chance that he was mad at you for catching him at Roxy's bar when stuck-up rich kids should be tucked under their sheets fast asleep. Hell, Aradia was buying you drinks today, and you wouldn't say no even if you were blind.

Okay, so maybe you were also a little stressed from overworking yourself at Beehive, and needed a little distraction. But shit, if Eridan didn't stop fucking glaring at you from the damn mirror, you'll end up spending the night with your right hand. _Again._

"What's wrong, Ampora?" you jeered, carefully hiding your lisp. "Had a little too much to drink, princess?"

He growled at you. "Not a wword a this to anyone, Captor." He hisses, his stutter more prominent than usual. "Or I wwill kill you."

You raised your eyebrow, leaning on the empty space beside him, blocking his view of the door. "Want me to call Daddy to bring your drunk ass home?" you smirked, "Or is FF your babysitter for today?"

You expected a blow to the face, or to a much lesser extent, a blow to your ego. But Eridan simply sighed, placing his elbows on the sink and cradling his head. "Please don't tell Fef..." he grumbled, "She'll freak out like she alwways does. I don't wwant to cause her trouble."

You crossed your arms over your chest, observing with masked concern."Sheesh, and here I thought you'd be up for a verbal smackdown. Guess you're too sick to do anything."

Eridan glared at you. "I'm not sick! I'm perfectly fi-"

You scrunched up your face and Eridan threw up most of his dinner, and probably a little bit of his lunch, on the once white sink. You looked away in disgust as he continued to hurl, your stomach twisting into little knows at the sounds.

"Shit, Ampora, where'd all your class go?" you taunted, holding in your own queasiness. You dig around your pocket for your phone, bringing it up in front of you and snapping a picture of Eridan's after-drunken-vomit face. "Oh man, KK would just love to see this!"

He turned the tap on, removed his glasses, and splashed the water all over his face. "WWhy don't you leavve already, Sol?" he sounded desperate, and if he wasn't Eridan Ampora, you would've pitied him.

You quirked an eyebrow, slightly getting more interested in the young man in front of you. You didn't think anyone in the world looked good after throwing up, not even your best friend Aradia Megido. But here was Hipster Douche in his too tight black jeans and flattering black button-up, his dark, purple-streaked hair falling over his face as droplets of water dripped from the tip of his nose.

It was doing very strange things to your dick.

"WWhat are you lookin' at, Sol?" he spoke, snapping you out of your thoughts. "I thought I told you to leavve."

You gave him a once-over, making sure he understood that you were indeed checking him out. You pretended to ignore the shiver that ran down his spine, but it gave you a sense of pride knowing you made that happen.

With a shrug, you pulled out your phone and dialed Aradia.

"Sollux, hey!" her sing-song voice greeted. "I was beginning to think you were drunk and sprawled all over Roxy's restroom floor. Do I have to call Equius to drag you out of there, or are you sober enough to crawl out?"

You chuckled, much to Eridan's confusion. "Nah, I'm pretty sober, AA." You replied, silencing Eridan before he could make a comment. "I'm just about to leave this shitty joint, but call EQ anyway. I found someone puking their guts out, thought I might escort them home."

Eridan's eyes widened like saucers, and you regretted not being able to use your phone cam. "My, my, my! Solluxander Captor, being a gentleman? It must be the apocalypse!" Aradia giggled from the other line. "There really _is _a first time for everything! I'll call Equius to come pick me up, but you better take good care of that poor guy. If he's that trashed now, tomorrow's gonna be one hell of a hangover!"

You took off your glasses and locked your mismatched eyes on Eridan. "Don't worry, AA." You smirked as the Aquarius narrowed his eyes. "I'm going to take good care of him."

* * *

"Sooooooooool..." Eridan moans from the other side of your bathroom door. "I wwanna die. I fuckin' threw up at Rox's place! I'm a fuckin' mess. Kill me. Kill me noww. Let. Me. Die."

You roll your eyes, your body against the bathroom door, your 3DS up and running. "Spare me the drama, ED." You spat, not even bothering to cover your lisp anymore. "Your just having a really bad hangover. You're not gonna die, and even though killing you would bring me so much pleasure, it's illegal. So shut up."

A pound on the door dislodges your head from its comfortable position. "It's not the hangover that's killin' me here, Captor!" he barks. "It's you! You an your _gentleman _act! You could'vve just left me there to rot! Took pictures an send them to Kar or wwhatevver! But, _no_¸ you wweren't satisfied wwith that! You brought me _home_ wwith _you_!"

You sigh, extremely regretting the stupid decision you made last night. You could blame the few drinks you had, but honestly, it was more your dick's fault. Eridan just looked so, you don't know, _good_. Unfortunately, the moment you stepped into the house, he puked on your clothes.

"Seriously, Ampora, what is your problem?" you reply tersely, setting your 3DS aside. "So what I brought your drunk ass to _my _home. You could hardly even stand, let alone crawl back to your fancy little mansion. Okay, so I wanted to mess with you a little bit for all the shit you've done to me, but I didn't. Shouldn't you be thanking me instead of complaining?"

There's a loud thump, and another moan. "You don't get it, do you Sol?" he asks. "I'm not ungrateful for wwhat you'vve done, I just wwish you didn't do it. So, thank you an all that, but I wwould'vve appreciated it more if you just let me drowwn in my owwn vvomit!"

You pinch the bridge of your nose. You seriously don't have the energy to put up with this anymore. "Eridan, let me get this straight." You pause, making sure he doesn't interrupt. "You'd rather drown in your own vomit on the filthy floor of Roxy's restroom rather than let me take you home."

"Yes!" Eridan replies enthusiastically. "Noww you get it!"

You take a deep breath, calculating your next move. "Can I ask why?"

A silence envelopes your cramped one-bedroom apartment. You start to think that maybe, just maybe, Eridan has ignored your question. You try to ask again, but the mumbles coming from the bathroom door stops you from saying anything.

"Eridan, I can't hear you. There is an actual door between us, asshole."

"I..." Eridan hesitates, and you strain your ears to hear more. "I didn't wwant you to see me like that..."

You roll your eyes. "That's pretty obvious, since you hate me and all that."

Silence. And then, "I don't hate you."

This is news to you. "If you don't hate me, then why throw a bitch fit at me?" you pause, realizing just exactly what you had said to him the night before. "Okay, so I kinda messed with you a little, but you do that to me all the fucking time. Why bitch fit now, when I'm at least being civil with you?"

"I don't hate you..." he repeats. "An I don't bitch fit either. Like I said, I just didn't wwant you to see me like that..."

You groan. "Why?"

More silence.

"Eridan?"

Mumbles.

"Eridan, I can't fucking hear you."

Slightly louder mumbles.

"Eridan, for fuck's sake, I can't fucking hear you!"

"_I can't let my crush see me drunk of my ass noww, can I?!"_

The silence that follows is even louder, and it takes you a full minute to realize you're holding your breath. With the lack of things to do, you pick up your 3DS and place it on the living room coffee table. You take one last glance at the bathroom door, contemplate, then shake your head before disappearing inside your own room.

You come out an hour later, and the clothes you lent Eridan are neatly folded on top of your couch. He probably found his own clothes in your drier. Your scratch your unruly mop of brown hair, thoroughly confused with what the hell just happened.

You almost forget about your 3DS when a small slip of paper catches your attention. You slip it out from under your 3DS and can't help but smile when you see what's written on it.

Two words. A name. A phone number.

Your name is Sollux Captor, and you have no idea what you're getting yourself into. 

* * *

_"And I Know I've Said It A Million Times  
But I'll Only Stay With You One More Night"_

"Eridan, where were you last night?!" Feferi barges into your house before you could even open the door, pushing at you until you almost stumble unto the floor. "I tried calling you last night, but you didn't pick up once! Fifteen times, Erifin, I called you _fifteen times_! Hell, I even called _Cronus _and he said he didn't see you all night! Do you know how worried I was?! You better have a good explanation, Mister!"

You wince at the glare Feferi Peixes gives you. "Fef, please, not noww." You start to stutter, but then catch yourself. "I'm tryin to get over a hangover, okay?"

Her expression softens as she looks at your hangover attire. "I guess that explains the loose boxers and Disney World shirt." She smiles, closing the front door with her hip as she ushers you to the kitchen.

"Hnngh." You groan, letting your head fall on the kitchen counter. "I'm not really in the mood to talk, Fef."

She giggles, obviously enjoying your discomfort in the way best friends always do. "I'll make you some tea. I'm sure that'll make you feel better."

"There's Earl Gray in the cupboard." You mutter, watching her flit about your kitchen. "No cream. No sugar."

"Seesh, you're so demanding, Erifin!" she teases, ruffling up your hair.

Twenty minutes and two mugs of hot tea later, you're seated across each other on the dining room table, one of you less hung-over than before.

"So..." Feferi begins, taking a sip of her own tea. "How about an explanation, Eridan?"

You stare at her from the rim of your mug, and she returns your look with one of her own. Sighing, you put the mug down and wrap your fingers about its warmth. "I got drunk of my ass at Roxy's bar yesterday." You close your eyes, waiting for her reaction.

"Oh. My. God." She narrows her eyes at you, her mouth doing that tilted frown thing. "You got _drunk_? _Seriously?_ Please don't tell me you passed out on the restroom floor like you did last time. I'd offer to burn your clothes for you, Eridan."

You roll her eyes and playfully push at her shoulder. "Please, Fef, it wasn't that bad..." you trail off, trying to remember exactly what had transpired last night. "I remember goin out for drinks with Vris, you know how it is with her."

This time Feferi rolls her eyes. "She's a glubbing beach, Eridan, and you know better than to hang out with her, especially near alcoholic drinks."

"I know. I know." You agree, taking another sip of tea. "I don't know exactly how it happened, but we got into a drinkin contest. She won, of course, and left me there in misery."

Feferi winced. "Ouch. How'd you get home?"

"Well, you see..." You falter, but quickly recover before Feferi catches on. "I was throwin' up in the restroom, an that's when Sol found me. He took me to his house, an I think he fixed me up, but then-"

"Wait, back up." She slams both her hands on the table, and you know for a fact that she's on to you. "_Sol_? As in _Sollux Captor_?"

You try to hide your blush by sipping your tea, but Feferi catches the very visible tint of red on your pale skin. "Sollux Captor caught you drunk!" she squeals, her face lighting up like the sky on the Fourth of July. "I can't believe it! Your huge man crush caught you drunk and even brought you home! Eridan, that's great! Super duper fintastic!"

With the way Feferi's looking at you, you suddenly want to melt into a puddle and never return to normal. "Quit beaming like that, Fef." You grumble. "It's not like anythin' happened between us..."

Feferi gives you a sympathetic smile, reaching over to pat your head. "Aww, Erifin, don't give up!" she giggles, "It's not like he knows you like him yet!"

"Actually, Fef..." You swallow the lump in your throat. "He does."

Feferi looks like a dumbfounded fish, and you stifle a giggle. "You... You told him?" she asks, completely aghast. "But, Erifin, you've kept it a secret ever since we were ten. Why tell him now?"

You groan, once again letting your head fall unceremoniously on the table. "It's complicated, Fef. There was yellin', an door poundin', an my head was still achin', an-"

Before you can come up with any more useless excuses, your phone beeps loudly from the living room couch. You always assign different ring tones to all your contacts, and yet this one is a generic beeping. You and Feferi look at each other, a wicked grin splitting across her face.

"Fef, no." You shake your head.

"Fef, yes." She smiles, frantically pushing out of her chair.

It's a race on who gets to the phone first, and you practically launch yourself over the counter that separates the kitchen from the living room. Feferi's quicker than you are though, and by the time you plant your feet down she's already beside the couch. You try to grab her, but she dodges, and you end up face-first on the carpet while she grabs the phone with a triumphant smirk.

"Well lookie here!" she giggles, checking caller ID. "It's an unknown caller! I wonder who it is..."

"Fef, no. Give me the phone."

"Oops!" she sticks her tongue out at you as she presses call. "Shell-o?"

"FF?" a familiar voice answers on the other line. "Oh shit, I think I got the wrong number."

The smile on Feferi's face grows wider, and you can feel your world ending. "Oh, hi, Sollux!" she chirps, "If you're looking for Erifin, don't hang up. You've got the right number, I ashore you. I wonder how you got it, though..."

"Fef, give me the phone!" you jump off the floor, launching yourself at your teasing best friend. "I swwear to cod, Fef, givve me the phone!"

"Oh my!" Feferi giggles into the receiver. "Looks like he's off into a stuttering rage! I think you'll have to call again later."

"No he does not!" you growl, grabbing Feferi's sides and tickling her. She collapses on the couch in a fit of laughter, and you take the chance to pry the phone out of her hands.

Standing far away from Feferi's laughing form, you take a deep breath before talking. "Don't mind anythin' Fef said!" you say, sticking your tongue out at the still grinning Feferi. "She might look innocent, but she's a connivin' little shit."

There's a pause, and you wonder if Sollux hung up while you were struggling. But then there's a chuckle, and your heart does that weird flip thing again. "Wow, _Erifin_, I didn't know you liked to talk trash about FF like that."

Your face heats up and you glare at Feferi. She continues to laugh at you. "Don't call me that!" You pout, feeling more than a little embarrassed. "Only Fef can call me that! It's embarrassin' if it wwas someone else..."

"Gee, ED, no need to be so uptight." He laughs, sending your heartbeat into overdrive. "I don't do fish puns anyway. You wouldn't be the only one who'd be embarrassed if I started calling you that."

You grab a seat on the armchair by the fireplace, chucking a throw pillow at Feferi's smug grin. "So..." You clear your throat, hoping to stop yourself from stuttering all over the place. "What are you calling for?"

You can hear some shuffling on the other side, and then Sollux's voice telling someone named Mituna to "_cover for me a little longer_". There's a bit more shuffling and a lot of yelling before Sollux is back on the line. "Sorry. My twin brother Mituna's covering for me. I'm not supposed to be on the phone."

Your heart flutters at the thought of Sollux taking time to call you in the middle of work, but you immediately tell it to calm down before you got way ahead of yourself. "You need to go back to your wwork, you knoww." Damn it, you stutter again. "Just tell me why you're callin'."

"Listen, ED, about last night and this morning..." he takes a deep breath. You mimic the action. "It was shitty of me to make fun of you and all that, but you were really drunk, and I was on my way to not being sober too, so it was only natural for me to act that way..."

There's another pause, then a sigh. "Fuck it. I was more sober than you, I should have known better. I shouldn't have made fun of you..." There's more shuffling, and probably a door opening in the background. "Shit, ED, what I'm trying to say here is... Fuck. I'm sorry for whatever the fuck happened, and I really, really hope you'd allow me to take you out this Friday?"

The whole world stops, and the only thing you hear aside from Feferi's constant giggling is the sound of your own heartbeat going overdrive. "This Friday?" you repeat. You get a noncommittal grunt in response. You look over at Feferi, and she gives you a thumbs up. "Uhm, sure. WWhy not?"

"Oh, okay, cool." Sollux replies, a little less enthusiastic than you wanted him to be. "Uhm, so, this Friday? I'll pick you up after work?"

You nod. "Sure. Sounds great."

"Looking forward to it, then." You smile as you hear him let out a breath. "Bye."

"Bye."

You hang up and immediately squirm in your plush armchair. Feferi motions for you to sit next to her on the couch, and once you do, you both set about to preparing for the upcoming date with a certain Gemini .

Your name is Eridan Ampora, and you're excited about what you got yourself into.

* * *

**Silver's Note: **I did say this fic was also EriSol, didn't I? This pairing will be popping up here and there. The next chapter will be back to the main PurrLoz antics, though. Hopefully with a conscious Kurloz...


	4. I See The Light

**I See The Light**

_"And At Last I See The Light,  
And It's Like A Fog Has Lifted"_

Sounds and sensations pass by in a blur, and you've found yourself looking forward to the day you finally open your eyes. There used to be nothing waiting for you in the world, nothing worth waking up for.

But then _she _came.

She's been with you since day one, talking to you as if you were awake, spending time with you as if you had been friends for a long time. Every day, she sits beside you, without fail. Sometimes she'll stay for hours, telling you all about the mundane things that happened around town. Other times, she leaves early, always promising to return the next day.

You find yourself falling for her. Every time she giggles, it send little pulses of happiness coursing through your veins. Every time she touches your hand, you long to curl your fingers and keep her there. Every time she brushes your hair away from your face, you long to do the same some day.

"It's nice to see you're recovering quite well." Your doctor, a lovely woman with a velvety voice, said one day. "Fortunately, the blood you lost in the accident wasn't quite enough to kill you." Dr. Maryam paused, the room filling with the sound of riffling paper. "And there appears to be no signs of hemorrhage or continued internal bleeding. You'll be set to wake up soon, if our guesses are correct."

There's another pause, and you can practically feel Maryam eyeing you up and down, making you squirm from the once-over. She has always been weary of you, ever since that _girl _started hanging out in your hospital room. You still couldn't figure out _why _your doctor was protective, but it probably was just some weird motherly instinct ingrained into her.

You hear a sigh as Maryam's heels click away from your bed. You think you hear her say _"I'm pretty sure she'll be ecstatic" _but you aren't really sure. Maryam must have slipped something into your IV again, because you feel yourself slowly drifting off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

Spots of white dot your vision as the afternoon sun sneaks its way past your curtains, filling your room with the kind of warmth that made you want to stay in bed a little longer. It doesn't take long for the sunlight to irritate you, though, and you find yourself blinking away the last recesses of sleep as you drag a shaking hand over your eyes.

A streak of light hits your eyes, turning your vision white for a few seconds before the colors and shapes of the hospital room assault your senses. There's a vase of roses on your bedside table, and judging from the vibrancy of the color, it's probably still fresh from the bushes. Remnants of what appears to be someone's breakfast are left next to the vase, complete with half a bottle of milk that seems endearing for reasons you can't quite place.

You scan the room some more, taking in golden-brown curtains that did nothing to keep the sunlight away and an old green sofa propped below the window adjacent to your bed, probably where guardians would sleep if they choose to accompany the patient. There's a flat-screen TV stuck to the wall directly in front of you, playing scenes of some National Geographic documentary about African lions.

A loud gasp shakes you from your observation, but from where you are lying down on the bed, your vision is only limited to a pair of bright green socks that appear to have cat ears on them. Strange. You've never seen those before.

It isn't until the person moves closer that you finally realize there is something very important going on.

You are finally awake.

You can finally see.

And more importantly...

You can finally see _her_.

You take in what you can of the black-haired beauty, her tanned skinned getting a little darker around her cheeks, her almond-shaped green eyes wide as she stares at you with what can only be described as _love_.

You give her what you hope could pass of as a smile, because all too suddenly, your world becomes brighter that it ever was before, and the light in her eyes makes it shine all the more.

* * *

_"And At Last I See The Light,  
And It's Like The Sky Is New"_

You don't know what to feel, and all the things you've wanted to say up to this point have just effectively died in your throat. The guy you've been taking care of for the last six months, the guy you've spent every last minute of your free time, the guy that constantly tugged at your heart every time he showed the chance of actually regaining consciousness... He is staring at you.

You move quickly beside him, and he offers you a crooked smile that somehow makes your heart flutter. His eyes, an amazing shade of royal purple, are hooked on yours and you can't help but feel giddy all over. Like a child on Christmas Eve waiting for permission to unwrap her present.

You blush at the thought, and he immediately opens his mouth to say something...

You stiffen as the young man makes a face, and you can't find the heart to tell him about what Porrim had said about his vocal chords. He tries though, and his voice comes out sounding like metal scraping against metal, his face contorting at the obvious pain at trying to make the sound.

You brush his hair out of his face, something you find yourself doing quite often, and he once again locks his eyes on yours. "I'm afraid you can't really use your voice right now, Mister!" you try to sound chipper, removing your hand from his hair. He surprises you by placing a pale skinny hand down over yours, gripping it weakly. You smile, keeping your hand where it is. "Porrim Maryam, that's your doctor, said something about you damaging your vocal chords or something... I really don't know the specifics, but I guess Porrim can tell you! Oh, which reminds me, I gotta buzz her in! She said to call for her the moment you show signs of consciousness. I guess you waking up and staring at me is a pretty big sign of consciousness, huh?"

You can feel yourself babbling, but at this point, do you even care? He's still clutching your hand even when you lean over him to press the button that would signal for Porrim. You notice his eyes still haven't left you, and his hand seems to be regaining strength as it grips your own.

He mouths something, and you quirk an eyebrow. "Hmmm? You want to tell me something important?"

You swear you see a blush creep up his face, but it disappears just as quickly. He closes his eyes, and for a second you think he's going to pass out again, but soon he looks up at you with the most determined look you have ever seen. It almost makes you giggle.

Slowly, he mouths words at you. Having been deaf since that accident years ago, it didn't take you long to read his lips. The words "May I know your name?" catch you by surprise.

You clearly blush now, not even bothering to hide it. "Oops. I never really told you, did I?" you giggle, slipping your hand away from his, trying to ignore the look of disappointment that momentarily crosses his face at the loss of your touch. You giggle, pushing the button once again, wondering just how long does it take Porrim to even get here? "Hmmm, let's make a deal then, Mister!" you finally answer, overcome with a sense of relief when you hear the faint sounds of Porrim's heels clicking on the linoleum floor. "Once you can tell me your name, I'll tell you mine."

Before the man has the chance to answer, Porrim strides into the room, another rather loud gasp filling the air as the caramel-skinned lady took in the scene before her.

"Oh. Oh my." are the words that leave her mouth, and you giggle at your long-time friend's lack of words. She was usually so verbose, but apparently her new patient gave her quite a shock. "You're... You're awake... How... Wow."

You step aside to allow Porrim to do all the standard doctor things. She checks his vital signs, takes his temperature, makes him do a series of motions with his hands and legs, asking him to nod if anything hurt. You listen with half an ear, turning down your hearing aid when Porrim begins going about the details of the accident and how the man should stay for a little longer for observations.

The moment Porrim finishes up with all her doctor-y things, she looks at you and nods towards the door. You offer the confused-looking man a small smile before stepping out, dragging Porrim by her hand all the way to the Nurse Station.

"I would like an explanation as to why you dragged me out of the room." she raises her eyebrow at you.

You sigh, turning your hearing aid back up again. "Porrim, I know you've been sick of me coming over here for the past few months and taking care of him, and you're probably still angry-"

"Whoever told you I was still angry? It certainly wasn't me."

"Okay, fine, I know your angry. Sheesh. Sorry already..." You continue without pausing, only to stop and backtrack to remember exactly what you friend had said. "Wait, wait, what? You're not angry at me anymore?"

She looks so exasperated you swear she looked like your Mom for a second there. "I'm not angry at you, dear." She replies. "If anything, I admire your dedication. You hardly know the man and yet here you still are, after six months of hardly any interaction. You must really love him."

You blink at her choice of words. "I'm sorry, what?"

She raises an eyebrow at you. "I said you must really love him."

You shake your head, almost dislodging your hearing aid. "Oh no. Oh no, no, no." You deny. "It's way too soon to be saying things like that! I may like shipping people, but there has to be some basis around the ship! It just can't rise up from the sea just like that!"

Porrim sighs. "I swear, I hardly understand half the things you're saying sometimes." She runs a hand through her thick brown hair, the sleeve of her white coat sliding down her wrist to reveal intricately woven tattoos. "Then why, pray tell, have you stayed with him for all this time if you had no romantic feelings for him?"

You bite your lip to think for a while. Huh. Now that she put it that way, it really didn't make any sense for you to stay this long with a complete stranger. "But..." you pause, thinking back to the first time you saw him, the first time you had an argument with Porrim on this subject. What was it that you told her? "I... I still don't know, Porrim. I was there when this truck crashed into him. I saw the blood... Saw it pool beside him while he lay there like a rag doll..."

Porrim gives you space to take deep breaths, gather your thoughts as you try to make sense of one scene, and then another. The memories of the man's accident mix together with your own, and instead of a young man lying limp, it was a much older man with already graying hair. A man who fills your memories with summers spent at the Alternia Park, of singing in the rain to the sound of an old guitar, of a Christmas Eve that was supposed to be the happiest ever but somehow ended in a nightmare.

You feel rather than see Porrim reach out to you, and you let yourself accept the steadying hand she places on your shoulder. "I was there, Porrim..." you whisper softly, "And I felt like I needed to do something. Anything."

She squeezes your shoulder in the same motherly fashion she does with Kankri, but it doesn't drive you as mad as the wordy brunette. "I see..." she says, her hand sliding down to your hip until she's giving you an awkward but comforting sideways hug.

"I wasn't there before..." you say with so much conviction you can feel Porrim going rigid beside you. "I wasn't there before, so I couldn't help... I'm here now. And I want to help. Porrim, I don't know if it's love or guilt or something else entirely making me do this... Just, please, Porrim."

She places a kiss on top of your head, and it would have been strange to outsiders, but not the people at Alternia District Hospital. Porrim had always been everyone's Mom, she's merely performing her duties as such. "Alright, I won't tease." She releases you, making sure you're calm before taking a step back. "And I won't ask questions either. Anything else you want me to do while we're at it?"

You blush a little, earning you another skeptical look. "Well, actually..." you lean closer, whispering in her ear. "Make sure no one mentions my name to him. No one. I don't want him to know my name until I know his."

You expect her to ask more questions about this, but she somehow looks very pleased with the idea. "Well, at least there's still one cautionary bone in your body." She smiles, giving you one last pat on the head before walking away.

And just like that, the sky seems infinitely clearer. With a new skip in your step, walk back to the room, greeting the confused looking man with a hearty smile. You go back to eating your breakfast, telling him all about the Nat Geo documentary going on. He doesn't stop you from babbling, and you feel that maybe, just maybe, this might turn into a ship after all.

* * *

**Silver's Note: **I don't think I've ever cried while writing a chapter. I guess there's a first time for everything. This was written in a caffeine-induced rush while I tried (and presumably failed) studying for a Political Science quiz coming up. Ended up remembering not only the different types of governments, but also memories I had rather not drag up. Anyway, please feel free to comment if I made any mistakes! You guys know they are always and forever welcomed.


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